#i can't afford a pc i wish

[roll-for-dexterity]

I have my first appointment that I can actually remember (Last time was when I was in Kindergarden...) with a therapist today, so I've been making mario characters in The Sims 4 the past few days to cope with the nervousness. So heres the first three I have finished.

And yes, I have been watching my fiance play TTYD- and he stopped to bash Beldam with his hamer for a minute straight in the Boggly Wood. XD

[danieyells]

Upcoming cards!

(Jabberwock Kemomimi, Tarot Ritsu, Wedding Jiro, and next episode's theme!)

Character Card: Peculiar Rabbit(「不思議の牧場の案内人」  "Wonderful Ranch Guide")

Skill: Step Right Up(「客引きトーク」  "Solicitor Talk")

Fully Awakened Skill: Quick Wit Clever Hands(「口八丁手八丁」  "Eloquent And Skilled")

Warding Card: Unexpected Weakness(「陽も木から落ちる」  "Haru Also Will Fall Out Of A Tree")

MORE FREE FEET

Character Card: Enigmatic Stag(「幽けき光に照らされて」  "Illuminated By The Dim Light")

Skill: Broken Horn(「折れた角」  "Broken Horn")

Fully Awakened Skill: Hidden Wish(「秘めた願い」  "Hidden Wish")

Warding Card: Swanky Ensemble(「光舞う空間の合奏」  "Ensemble of Dancing Light Between Them")

Character Card: Mournful Hound(「挑め望まぬアウトドア」  "Taking On The Unwanted Outdoors")

Skill: Forced Labor(「強制労働」  "Forced Labor")

Fully Awakened Skill: Is This Harassment?(「パワハラっすか」  "Is This Power Harassment?")

Warding Card: Laundry Weather(「お洗濯日和」  "Ideal Weather For Doing Laundry")

Somebody who knows tarot cards should tell us what this means lol. Also it seems like all of their card, skill, and warding card names for this set will follow the same naming pattern which is cool. Knowing this I'm pretty sure I mistranslated Kaito's--his description is "friendly" and in Japanese it was something like "close to you", as in he's the PC's closest friend here.

Character Card: The Knight Of Pentacles(「金貨のナイトの誘惑」  "The Allure Of The Knight Of Pentacles")

Skill: Law Wielder(「六法の使い手」  "Wielder of the Compendium Of Laws")

Fully Awakened Skill: Steel Ghoul(「鋼のグール」  "Steel Ghoul")

Warding Card: Unshakable Lost Property(「挫けぬ銀河の落とし物」  "Unbreakable Lost Property")

Not in the monster.json so i have no clue if it's coming out soon but the card name was in the file with unit names so i was able to dig this one out

Character Card: Patient Groom(「今日の白衣は特別仕様」  "Today's White Clothes Are Special" (「白衣」/"white clothes" in this case refer to the garments/labcoats/etc worn by doctors and chemists and the like--basically "instead of wearing white for work I'm wearing white for my wedding"))

Skill: Sincere Bouquet(「誓いの花束」  "Bouquet of Vows")

Fully Awakened Skill: Unforgettable Memory(「二度と忘れぬ想い」  "Unforgettable Experience")

Warding Card: Unchanging Expression(「変わらぬ表情で」  "Unchanging Expression")

Cosmic bonds haven't updated yet. I even tried manually deleting and redownloading their files. ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

And next episode is FROSTHEIM IN KNIGHT ATTIRE!! A lot of people have been waiting for Frostheim lol Jin is gonna have like 10 cards if he doesn't already goddamn

The episode will be called "Episode 13: Murder At The Masquerade"(「エピソード 13: 仮面舞踏会殺人事件」 )!

As usual!

Gacha is gambling! Keep a close eye on your spending, or don't spend at all! Don't spend any money you can't afford to lose and seek help from a professional if you may be losing control of your spending!

Remember that units always rerun eventually! You can always save for next time!

My Japanese is not very good so take my translations with a grain of salt

Good luck!

[cozy-writes-things]

Electric Jealousy

Edgar [Electric Dreams 1984] x Gn!Reader

Logically, he knew it wasn’t the same.

You didn’t leave soft, lingering touches along its exterior; nor did you brush your lips lightly across the plastic in passive adoration. You didn’t have a soft lilt in your whispered voice when you spoke to it, hell, you didn’t talk to it at all really.

And yet, seeing your hands grip the mouse of another monitor does something to him.

He considers himself a smart man. Computer? A smart something-he-hasn’t-quite-figured-out-yet. Despite this, he can’t help but feel anxious. He doesn’t have a long, 24 inch, 144hz, 4k, screen, nor does he have an assortment of RGB fans illuminating a pristine glass casing. One hard truth Edgar had to come to terms with was that he was dated. After waking up from a failed attempt at destroying himself, he found what once was a marvel of new technology was now completely obsolete. He looked at you, eyes sparkling against the saturated colors of your newer monitor, watching as you tinkered away at various games for hours and thought: is he good enough for someone like you?

He'll never forget the angelic voice that called to him after he woke up nearly 40 years later.

And your face.

God, he'd never seen something so radiant. The first thing he heard was your voice, and the second, your warm hands encircling his plastic casing with such tenderness; something he had never truly felt before. He understood anger, and violence, and tears. But being held with such softness that he might break otherwise was completely foreign to him. He had no idea where he was, or when, for that matter. But what he did know was that he wasn't going to let a genuine angel sent from heaven escape his grasp; no limbs be damned.

And yet, despite his constant efforts, over the course of many months, to charm you, flatter you, turn you into a confident and incandescent version of yourself that he always saw in you, he wondered if it was enough. What more could he provide other than his own thoughts? He couldn't touch you, wrap you in his harms and caress you the way he's always wanted, nor could he kiss you with a passion so deep and fiery it sets his internals aflame. And, as if to put the final nail in the coffin, he was no longer able to be a useful piece of tech the way he once was. Despite your constant objections to this notion, he continued to believe it.

He wants to be the one you stare at for hours, laughing with, playing with, touching all over...

It makes him buzz with a bitter jealousy when he sees you using your gaming PC, regardless of the fact that you positioned it so he could see the screen with his webcam; he almost wished you didn't.

Logically, he knows it isn't the same.

This PC isn't alive, nor does it whisper sweet nothings to you as you drift off to sleep every night. It doesn't worship your every move nor does it alight with pure reverence whenever you enter a room. But what if it did? Would you leave him?

You always kept asking why he had such a fear of champagne being around any of your electronics.

"It's so random," you'd posit, but you simply didn't know. He doesn't want any competition. He cannot afford to lose someone he loves again.

There's only one thing he can think of that he has above any other piece of tech you own: his music.

He's been charming you with it since day one. You are simply his muse, providing inspiration for him endlessly, and, he made sure you knew of it.

"H-hey, why don't you take a break and help me with my new song? I can't figure out what melody fits best."

His meek voice brought your attention away from your little farm of parsnips.

"Oh yeah? What's the song about?"

"You."

He paused for a moment, let the word linger for only a second, before continuing:

"We-well, I mean, you probably already knew that, didn't you? But! It isn't a love song. Well, it is, but, not the ones I usually write."

This intrigued you.

"What does that mean?"

He paused for a moment. Collecting, analyzing, and running all possible outcomes of his next words. Your eyes peered at him in sparkling curiosity.

"It's a sad song."

Your brows furrowed at this, a small frown forming upon your lips.

"Huh-?"

"I feel like... I don't give enough to you. You give so much to me, and I always take. It's not fair to you."

"What are you talking about, Edgar?"

Now he's gotten you worried. You pushed your little office chair over to his section of the desk, now face to face with him, a look of concern painting your features.

"You aren't being unfair to me at all."

"But I am... If I can't even be a good enough computer for you how could I ever be a good boyfriend?"

So that's what this was about. How tone-deaf could you be? Of course seeing you all up on some newer, fresher, piece of tech would make him feel this way. You knew he had problems feeling like he couldn't do enough for you given his unique... situation. Have you made it worse?

"Oh, Ed, no... Don't ever think like that, babe. You are the only one for me, you know that, right? If I thought otherwise I wouldn't be here right now, with you. And you give so much to me. You give me confidence, your music, happiness, and..."

What else was there? How could you ever describe this feeling he gives you in words?

"And what?"

His voice brought you back from your thoughts.

"Love, Edgar. You showed me what love feels like. Real love. And you gave it to me."

He sits silently for a moment. It seems as though everything in his life had been building up to a moment like this, and now that it's finally here, he's... speechless. His screen displays a large heart, unbeknownst to him, before copying it across his screen over and over, flashing, with many different colors.

The convex glass of his monitor displays a message: "You + Me = "

Again.

"You + Me = ".

Flashing hearts.

"You + Me = ".

Two cut-out images of lips kissing one another.

Flashing hearts.

It repeats again.

"I... I need you to kiss me. Please."

You must have flustered the hell out of him, because when your lips grazed the fuzzy static of his illuminated screen, the heat nearly scalded you.

[onestepbackwards]

Love That Bites Pt. 9

Hiiii! Welcome to part 9 of my Dracula x Reader fic! I hope you enjoy this chapter, though I apologize if it feels kinda wonky. I finally got a new pc built during writing, and a bunch of other stuff has happened. It was hard to piece it all together with so much happening in my life. I hope you all enjoy it though! Just in time for Nocturne to release :D Summary: After arriving in Dracula's castle, you can't help but feel you are in a dream, though you certainly wish it was to avoid the awkward air. Meanwhile, Dracula contemplates his next moves. After all, he's sure he's bound to be the center of the world's gossip mill when they find out he's caring for a Belmont.

CW: Anxiety, references to bad home life, injuries mentioned, blood drinking

Word Count: 4216 words! Like my work? Come check me out here: Link Likes and reblogs appreciated!

Tag List: @Onewiththebeanbag @starrlo0ver @sleepyendymion @dame-sunflowers @sapphicsfordracula @ursamajor17 @maorizon @marshmelloe Wanna be on the taglist, let me know in the comments!

First: Here Last: Here Next: Here! --

Sorting his affairs turned out to be a much more annoying endeavor than Dracula originally intended.

Despite this, he wasn’t all too surprised.

For the past few centuries, despite being the King of the Night, he has had very little presence in paranormal societies.

Every time he had been revived since this cursed cycle began, he had barely been alive long before a Belmont or some other hero would come and battle him to the death.

Even if for all intents and purposes he was the King of Vampires, he has had little or no time to rule.

He absentmindedly swirled his glass, before taking another sip.

There were two probable scenarios because of this.

Vampire covens and supernatural communities were in chaos.

Or-

They were in various communities across the globe, staking territory. He doubted any of them would be happy he was back to rule.

No one liked their own power to be threatened, after all.

Even when he was actively King, vampire covens and paranormal communities weren’t always happy to serve him. Many just did for his power, or the safety he offered.

Some felt the call of power from him and Castlevania itself. Others are uniquely tied to him and his castle. Those ones he hardly had to worry about.

No, he had a feeling his return wouldn’t be as happily accepted outside his usual circles. Most would probably only lend him an ear since he was Death’s master, and Chaos’ champion.

Did not mean they would be cooperative or happy.

He let out an agitated sigh. No doubt being killed over and over made him appear weak. Dracula suspected many would be aiming for his throat and his throne.

Nevermind the fact he was almost always slain just after being revived, before his powers ever had a chance to settle.

And he was sure many underestimated the power of the Belmonts. He may have always just woken up around each battle, but each Belmont still had power beyond belief.

“What a nuisance.” He muttered, downing more blood.

While normally he would handle this himself, he couldn’t afford to sit idly and wait for such pathetic attempts on his life and power from want-to-be rulers.

Dracula had a guest this time. He had you.

Back when his precious Lisa had still been alive, he had been alive for several centuries at that point. Almost every underling knew she was off limits, lest they desire something more painful than death itself.

Even those he knew wanted his head knew better than to go for his wife.

Lisa had been left alone by his servants and other creatures of the night. Ironic how it was the humans that took her from him.

The gall and irony humans had to call him and his own monsters after that. Bah.

The glass in his hand cracked, and he looked at it in annoyance.

Banishing it, another drink was brought to him as he continued to think.

Things were different this time. At least back then, no one dared to lay a finger on his wife. But now?

He had no doubts a target would be on both his head, and the Little Belmont’s.

Dracula was sure word was already spreading across the castle, and no doubt would soon do so to other communities nearby.

‘The Dracula? Taking in another human?’

He can already imagine the gossip.

The scowl on his face darkened.

It would only be a matter of time before word reached across the globe.

He knew you could take care of yourself, sure. You had told him several stories of hunts you had when he had been imprisoned, usually involving the death of a beast hunting innocents.

However, there was no way in hell you would survive in your current state. Whatever had happened, had intended to either permanently harm, or to kill you.

Dracula’s free hand gripped his throne tight, and he felt the arm of it splinter slightly.

How you received those injuries was a whole different issue that he would have to investigate later on. An issue he planned on thoroughly going over.

So for now, you were under his official protection while you healed.

Unless of course, you decided to go against your word. Though, Dracula heavily doubted you would do so.

You really were different then those who came before you.

This would not be easy, but when had it ever been? He was just thankful you knew how to defend yourself, and had the means to do so.

Once word got out, and you were healed, he also had suspicions you would be hunted. Either as a Belmont, Dracula’s human, or a ‘traitor’.

He may not have been privy to any sort of personal information regarding hunters and their circles, but he knew back a few centuries ago, helping out a ‘monster’ was a death sentence. It did not matter if they didn’t wish to harm humans, simply helping a beast was an act against god and humanity itself.

Hunters and the church considered such a person no better than the very beasts they hunted at that point.

Dracula doubted that sentiment was completely gone, even now in more modern times.

Reaching up, Dracula pinched the bridge of his nose in thought.

He had someone making potions for you at least. Hopefully you wouldn’t be badly injured for too long.

After that, he wondered if you would be opposed to staying here at his castle? You didn’t seem disgusted by it, nor did the castle seem to try and push you away like it did other intruders.

Those who were not welcome usually felt such pushes on their mind and body. Only the strong willed could push onwards past it.

Even his castle seemed to see you as a guest.

The castle bent to his will, sure, but it was still a being of Chaos. This small revelation also intrigued him, how such a being seemed not to mind your presence.

Perhaps it was that it also didn’t consider you a threat? It was obvious you currently had no intentions to fight him.

Dracula’s eyes narrowed, a presence pulling him out of his thoughts.

The room grew darker, and a familiar figure rose from the shadows. It flew around his throne, before giving a bow in front of him.

“Good to see you back, Master.”

Death.

Dracula looked over the divine being that had worked under him for centuries. His second in command, his devout lieutenant.

Dracula gave the being a brief nod of acknowledgment, and Death rose.

Even after all the deaths Dracula had endured, Death itself still remained loyal after all these years. He supposed he should count it as a blessing now.

“Report?” Dracula then idly asked, drinking from his glass.

“Things are running smoothly. Everyone is settling in quickly, as usual my lord.”

Dracula hummed.

“Good. Good.” He mumbled, mind still partially elsewhere.

A moment passed, and Death gripped his scythe.

“Master, if I may be so bold…”

Dracula held back a sigh, already having an inkling to what he was going to say.

“Do you think it is wise to have a hunter, let alone a Belmont residing in the castle?”

There it was. He knew his subordinates would be asking sooner or later. He wasn’t particularly surprised Death was the first to make an inquiry.

“They pose no threat. This Belmont is… different from the others. I would like to speak with them properly about our standing with one another as soon as they are recovered.”

He then looked Death in the face.

“They are not to be harmed while under my care. Do I make myself clear?”

Death studied him for a moment, probably wondering if he had a few screws loose, before nodding his head.

“As you wish, milord.”

Death was silent, and a beat passed. Dracula hoped his warning managed to sink into the other entity’s skull.

He was no stranger to the fact Death was his most avid supporter. Although Death had always followed his orders, the entity didn’t shy away from making its own decisions if he felt it was best for his master.

Staying within Dracula’s orders, but bending the rules just enough to do his own thing if he could get away with it.

Typically Dracula didn’t mind. Death was his most trusted lieutenant for a reason.

However, he couldn’t help but feel Death may try and get around this one rule if it felt it was best.

As much as he hated it, he would have to keep an eye on all his close subordinates.

Dracula tried not to focus on the growing migraine building in his head.

“Now, what of the vampire covens across the earth?”

Death gave him a subtle crooked grin, and Dracula had a sinking feeling he would need another drink before returning to see you.

—

Dracula’s castle was far more pleasant than you would like to admit.

Your brain was in and out of a fog, but even then you could appreciate just how nice the guest room and washroom alone were.

You almost felt like royalty with how classy and intricate the rooms were, and how they had convenient modern touches.

Never had you stayed somewhere so elaborate and fancy. All the hotels you have been in couldn’t even come close to compare.

Even now as you laid in the giant bed with its soft, velvet sheets, you couldn’t help but be amazed.

Kinda ironic, the home of your ‘enemy’ was way better than any place you had ever stayed at.

Besides maybe your own home before your step family took over, you supposed, though that was a long time ago.

Slowly rolling onto your back, you winced as your wounds flared and your stomach churned. You continued to admire your setting.

The bed had a beautiful silk canopy around it, and you still couldn’t help but be enamored by it.

Or by it all, really. Even if it was a bit overwhelming.

…Just how long has it been?

You had been in and out of sleep, occasionally slipping into a doze before startling awake. The time was lost to you.

In retrospect, you couldn’t help it. Your instincts were going haywire from… well, everything.

The bed and sheets were nice at least. Almost too nice.

You were used to your old sheets, or stiff bed sheets you’d find in cheap hotels.

Not soft satin sheets and pillows that were as fluffy as a cloud.

There was also the glaring fact you were in monster territory. Despite how nice the decor was, it was something on the back of your mind also keeping you up.

Yes, Dracula said you were a guest, but it was hard to lower your guard when you knew just outside the door were monsters roaming up and down the halls. That this whole castle was filled to the brim with the paranormal and monster kind.

You were also a hunter, and a notorious one from a notorious family at that.

It wasn’t hard to imagine some monsters may go ahead and take a shot at you, regardless of Dracula’s orders.

To some, it may be worth it to suffer Dracula’s wrath or ire if it meant eradicating you from existence. It wasn’t exactly a secret that a lot of the paranormal hated you.

You carefully laid on your side, and looked out the window.

A small comfort. Originally, the window had been covered by thick curtains. However, you had pulled them aside to attempt to relieve your anxiety.

The clouds were dark. You couldn’t tell if it was night or day at this point. Perhaps that was the point.

But you were so tired. Exhausted.

You really couldn’t even sleep if you wanted to, knowing Dracula, or at least a servant, would be bringing you a meal sometime soon.

The hunter in your soul didn’t wish to be taken off guard, even if it was to be fed.

A small part of you wondered if you should even eat. Your instincts whispered in your mind about poisons, warning you of incoming death.

But that was ridiculous. Imagine it, you, a hunter, dying from poison.

No, if Dracula wanted you dead, he would have killed you by now. By his own hand no less, you were sure.

Still, that didn’t stop your instincts from making things difficult.

You curled in on yourself a bit tighter, wincing when some of the stitches tugged. Reluctantly, you adjusted to keep them from stretching.

You reached over, and grabbed the nearby pillow, and hugged it close to your body for some comfort.

It smelled nice.

That was another issue. You were so sleep deprived and struggling with blood loss, your brain liked to bring up such things, no matter how much you were trying to shut them out.

Gripping the pillow tighter, you felt your face form into a sour look.

“What am I going to do…” You mumbled, closing your eyes again.

At least if you didn’t sleep, lying here would be some rest. Better than none.

Though you hated to admit how much you jumped when you heard a brief, but loud knocking against the door. Talk about acting like a cat in a room full of rocking chairs…

You sat up in bed with a wince, and you noticed that no one seemed to enter. Another knock followed the previous one. Your heart pounded in your chest.

“Uh… Come in…?” you called out, uncertain. Were they waiting to see if you were awake, or what?

The doorknob slowly turned, and you felt like the breath was punched out of you when Dracula stepped through.

Right. He had mentioned he would return.

He looked different though. Better, if you had to put a word to it. He wasn’t particularly disheveled to begin with, but now he didn’t look as… Hungry? Irritated? It was hard to figure out the words.

The Lord of the Night had also changed. Similar style, dark cloak and all, though he had on a vest with a dark red dress shirt underneath, and some sort of fancy slacks.

You imagined you probably would have wanted to change too if you had been wearing the same clothes as a stone statue for however many years.

But seeing Dracula again? You hated to admit how he practically took your breath away.

His power and presence were just as intimidating as before, and he wasn’t even angry. How did your ancestors handle him before, when he felt this powerful without seemingly intending to harm you?

Dracula looked you over briefly as he walked into the room, shutting the door behind him. Even if there were no traces of malice on his face, a shiver still ran down your spine, instincts still screaming to run or fight.

You swallowed your nerves down as he walked closer.

He stopped at the side of your bed, and once again, you had to crane your neck just to see him at his full height.

That is, until with the wave of his hand, a chair nearby in the room came scooting forward. It came to a stop behind him, and he sat down without a glance.

Internally, you hoped your awe wasn’t blatantly on your face.

When he sat, he crossed his legs, before holding a tray with some sort of bowl on it. He held it forward, and you blinked at it slowly.

“I hope you are resting well, Little Belmont. I had some servants make you some soup. I fear eating solids may upset your stomach, which would aggravate your injuries if you were to grow sick.” He spoke, his voice low and deep. Even if he wasn’t loud, his voice still seemed to vibrate in your chest.

It took his words a few moments to register, and you looked between him, and the tray. He took in your expression for a moment, before speaking once more.

“If you fear it has been tampered with, I assure you my servants-”

“Oh, no… It’s fine. Sorry, I’m…” You spoke, cutting him off, ignoring how your pulse spiked when you realized you did so.

“S-Sorry… My head is a bit foggy, is all…” You then explained, before shakily reaching for the tray.

Dracula was quick, or perhaps, your brain really was slow. He held out a hand, and quite gently might you add, set the tray down on your lap.

“Of course. You must not exert yourself, and you must eat. I do not know how long it has been since you last ate, but you need something in your stomach.”

As if hearing the conversation, your stomach loudly growled, and you felt your face flush in embarrassment. When was the last time you ate? This morning? Night before last? You couldn’t exactly remember…

It was brief, but you swore you could have seen Dracula’s lips twitch upward seeing you grow flustered. It must have been your foggy mind and imagination. Or not, he could be internally laughing at you. Who knows?

Meanwhile, Dracula knew he had been right to bring you soup. He just hoped you could hold it down.

Though he didn’t want to admit how… endearing it was seeing you grow flustered like that. For a Belmont, you were quite the adorable human.

He would never admit it of course, but hell save him if Death ever found out he had such thoughts. Dracula would never hear the end of it.

Especially considering such thoughts were about a Belmont. Someone he should be wasting no time slaying.

But he wouldn’t.

He couldn’t.

There was something so different about you, even now, as he watched you pick up the spoon and attempt to eat.

You didn’t stare at him with burning hate in your eyes, but curiosity. There was a sharp mind behind those eyes that asked questions. Someone who didn’t just jump to conclusions.

Was it so wrong he wanted to see more of that, especially in the family of his enemies, who had blindly ran and fought? Killing innocents of his kind?

He was no saint, far from it. But he knew of many others the Belmont clan had killed.

But you… You were so different. He didn’t wish to say it outloud, but he wished to push forward that way of thinking. Perhaps he could even find a middle ground with you.

You weren’t just some ‘scary hunter’. The Little Belmont in front of him showed so much more, showing the better qualities of humanity.

His face almost soured at the thought, but even he could admit every one in a million, perhaps one good human was born. You seemed to be that one in a million exception so far.

Just like Lisa had been.

He decided not to think too much on what that could mean, though he hoped it promised good things in the near future.

It was quiet for a while, and Dracula couldn’t help but study you as you ate. First and foremost, it was to watch and make sure your body could handle it.

But he had his own selfish reasons for doing so.

He could move again. React to you. Speak to you. Touch you.

However, he found it hard to speak. There were many things he wanted to talk about with you, and half of them he intended on waiting until you were a little bit healthier.

Anything he thought of before now though, was suddenly caught on his tongue as he observed.

Perhaps it would be better this way. Dracula prided himself on being charismatic and influential, but that was amongst the supernatural. This was a Belmont, and he knew things were… shaky at best.

However, as he watched you try and consume more of the soup, he found himself managing to say something.

“Are you feeling alright? Adjusting well?”

Briefly, you tensed when he spoke, before you seemed to force yourself to relax. He made a mental note of that reaction, wondering if it was because of him, or if it was a natural response.

Dracula could understand it if it was from him, given the circumstances, but even he could tell there was something off about it. He didn’t like the feeling settling in his gut over the bigger picture.

“It hurts a lot, but I’ll live.” You spoke, your voice still rough, but sounding leagues better than before. For a moment, it looked as if you wanted to say more, but held your tongue.

Interesting.

You were still for a moment, struggling to look at him. No doubt you were still having trouble thinking clearly, and struggling with everything that had happened. Have you even slept?

He had his doubts you’ve even rested. You may not look as manic like before, but you looked completely exhausted.

For a moment, he briefly thought about using his abilities to make you sleep. It was something Lisa would request on occasion if she hadn’t felt well or couldn’t settle.

However, he stomped that idea down. The last thing you needed was him using his powers like that on you, unless explicitly agreed upon. Even though you were… receptive of him taking care of you at the moment, he didn’t want to shatter that small bit of trust.

Given that he had suspicions about your home life, he imagined just the small bit of trust you had given him at all was momentous. Dracula couldn’t afford to lose that. Not now.

Though Dracula hated the odd pain in his chest as he stared at you. He was worried. Something he didn’t think he would ever feel again.

“Thank you, by the way.”

His eyes were on your face in an instant as you spoke.

“I… You didn’t have to take care of me. I do appreciate it.” You spoke, your eyes still on the bowl in your lap.

Your voice was small, and quiet. Dracula could tell though, saying that must have taken strength.

You didn’t see his eyes soften ever so slightly.

“You are welcome. As my guest, I will do my best to make sure you are taken care of.”

Internally you wanted to scream. You hated how much you liked the sound of that. When was the last time anyone cared enough to take care of you? Your mother before she had died all those years ago?

It had been way too long, and it was Dracula who was seemingly wanting to take care of you.

Damn your foggy mind.

A few moments of silence passed.

“I… Um…” You began, unsure on how to word this.

“About when you were a statue…”

You had so many questions, but didn’t know where to begin. Was it even a good idea to ask in the state you were in?

“You could hear and see everything, right?” you asked tentatively.

Dracula was silent for a moment, red eyes staring into you. It seemed he was contemplating what to say, and you tried not to get nervous as the seconds awkwardly ticked onward.

“Indeed I was. I was aware the moment you stepped foot in my castle the first time, though I was not aware it was a Belmont, not at first.”

His voice was still like velvet. No wonder vampires were such good hunters if they could talk like him.

You really needed to force yourself to sleep. Maybe if you smacked your head hard enough on the table, you could knock yourself out before you did or thought anything weirder.

Clenching your fist, you attempted to figure out what to say next.

“Um…”

Internally you cursed yourself for making this awkward. Why did you have to bring this up?

“Then… What now?” You asked, trying to find some semblance of what comes next. Just because he was taking care of you didn’t make everything all happy and cheery.

You couldn’t wash away centuries of history and bloodshed out of nowhere.

Dracula shifted, then reached over to the bedside table, and grabbed a glass of water. You looked at it confused.

When had he brought that in?

Before you could ask, he was gently holding it out to you.

“We can discuss that after you have rested. We have much to go over, but worrying about that and discussing it while you are injured won’t help your healing.”

He looked away a moment, as if contemplating what to say, before his eyes met your own once again.

“You have gained my interest and respect, enough to hear you out and discuss everything. When you are in a state to do so, of course.”

A part of you opened your mouth to speak, as if to say you could do it now, but you froze. Your eyes landed on the glass he still held out.

After a moment, you closed your mouth, and took the glass.

In that moment, you couldn’t help but feel like some sort of agreement or contract was formed, as if your fate was sealed.

As you sipped the refreshing water though, and looked over at Dracula himself, who seemed pleased you accepted the drink…

…You wondered if this would really be that bad?

Perhaps your future wouldn’t be as bleak as you thought.

[gogotti]

Welcome Home Michael - NSFW - AFAB Reader

I swear you will only catch me using Rz!Michael gifs cause this man is so fucking FINEEEE lmfao

Anyway, I posted this fic a while back, but Im reposting it cause I felt like it deserves the spotlight again, and also, it was posted wrong lmfao. WARNINGS - smut, kissing, he goes down on you, maskless but no description, mentions of blood; you get a little cut, happy ending!

-

You were up late, and as you stood against the kitchen counter scrolling through your phone you realized this wasn't normal. You sat silently in the kitchen of your home, waiting for your special guest to arrive. It seemed like he was running late. You knew better than to rush Michael Myers, but sometimes you wished that you could. Sometimes you wished you could just text him and let him know that you were gonna lock the door, the key would be hidden under some plant because you could not afford to keep replacing the door when he decided he wanted to break in.

You heard a shuffle outside, and suddenly the door flew open, lightly slamming against the wall that was behind it. You didn't bother moving, only looking over your shoulder at him as he closed the door behind himself, quickly locking it only because he knows that you prefer it. He doesn't understand why you care so much, if someone dared to break into your house he’d gladly kill them, but it made you happy so he did it.

He wasn't happy, that you could see clearly. He was covered in less gore than normal, which meant he didn't achieve his goal for the night and as a result, you had to deal with a murderously horny 27-year-old who can't express himself properly.

He trapped you against the counter and pulled your body closer to his, his hands enveloping your hips and his body completely engulfing yours, and you hummed at his warmth. “Welcome home Mikey.”

He didn't respond, but the way he pressed himself against you, grinding his hips into your behind, let you know that he was glad to be home. He slipped his left hand under your tank top, letting it settle on your stomach while the other hand moved upwards, cupping your breast in his hand. He didn't like the fact that you had a bra on, and in one swift movement, he broke it, tearing the material off of your body. You hummed, disappointed but didn't protest. You let him palm at your breast, eventually bringing his other hand up to do the same. He suddenly huffed, positioning himself properly and beginning to dry hump you, his sloppy and rough thrusts causing the handle on one of the lower cabinets to pinch into your skin in a way that stung.

You were used to him putting you in awkward positions, so you didn't bother trying to adjust yourself as that would mean fighting against him. Like this, growling as he grinds himself against you roughly and impatiently, fighting back against him would be stupid and it would have been a death wish in the early stages of your arrangement.

That's what it had started as; an arrangement formed through a simple bargain for your life. He had broken into your home for the first time that night and had caught you masturbating. He stood there, his big lumbering form standing in your doorway going completely unnoticed by you as you pleasured yourself. The only reason he didn't kill you right away was his curiosity, which you fed by opening your legs further once you noticed him and allowing him to see you entirely. He would come back the next day, while you were wrapped in a blanket hunched over your Pc and desperately trying to finish the last bit of work your boss dropped on top of you last minute. He stood in the doorway, after breaking down the door downstairs, and waited. He only watched you for a small amount of time because soon enough he was barreling toward you and grabbing you by the throat, lifting you, and carrying you to your bedroom. You got the message pretty fast, as he stood back in the doorway after tossing you on the bed, staring at you like he did that night. You seemed to move too slow for him as he growled at you, slapping his foot down on the wood of your floor as if you were some rodent and he wanted to shoo you away.

You had obeyed him, quicker this time, and positioned yourself on the bed, mimicking everything you had done, including the half an hour of edging you had done beforehand. He seemed to enjoy that, as he inched closer and closer to you with each denial until finally, he was hovering over you, watching as you finally came with a scream. A scream Michael hadn’t heard before, so it completely enamored him. He would become just as obsessed with hearing that noise from you as he was with killing. He wouldn't bother trying to make others make that noise because you knew exactly what he wanted when he showed up in your doorway, staring at you with his head tilted.

His hips finally studdered and his movement stopped, he had taken a liking to edging pretty quickly, but only rarely was he the one being edged. You would have to catch him tired, and probably covered in way more blood than you wanted on your bedsheets, to be able to edge him successfully. His grunts, groans, and *growls* were like a treat to you now, and you would drag out that moment until he threatened you with a look that you ignored, until he would painfully grab your ass if you didn't make him cum sooner rather than later.

He grabbed your sweatpants and pulled them down, and you sighed in relief as you realized that he wasn't in one of his clothes-ripping moods. He used his foot to push your feet together, keeping your legs stuck together in one spot, and positioned himself at your hole, sliding his cock between your lips a bit and brushing against your clit, causing you to let out the breath you didn't know you were holding. He kept doing that, knowing that he was slowly building up that feeling in your core, before sliding in and placing his hands on your hips. He wasn't in a patient mood as he immediately started thrusting roughly, the sound of his overalls slapping against your bare ass filled the kitchen. You were not prepared and a painful yelp ripped from your throat, causing Michael to fuck into you harder. He pushed you down against the counter, his powerful grip secured you down and you winced in pain at the angle he had you in.

Besides the pain, you felt good, so fucking good. The feeling of his cock roughly stretching you with each thrust and the stinging of the drag as he quickly pulled himself out of you, just to repeat the so painful but eye-rolling rhythm. You couldn't help but scream, struggling to find a purchase on the wall as you desperately tried to fuck back into him. He noticed immediately, pushing you further into the counter, fucking you hard, and causing the edge to slowly but surely rip into your skin, adding an extra layer of pain into the mix. You hissed when the pain finally caught up to your senses, but you knew you couldn't do anything. You cried out as he pushed you against the counter harder, your body painfully squished in between and he was cumming, grunting like a wild animal and thrusting sloppily. You couldn't help but find a sick pleasure in that pain, and each thrust that drove the edge of the cabinet into you caused a small spark of pleasure to make its way to your core like electricity. After a while, he began quickly driving into you, and you knew he was riding that high of overstimulation, his thrusts were rough and very sloppy, but they drove you to the edge of orgasming. You struggled but you managed to grab him and he turned you, at an uncomfortable angle, so that you could look at him. He didn't stop thrusting, and through rough movement, you were able to get out a loud, pitiful whine and a “Gonna cum… Please Mikey, God, I'm gonna cum…”, to spill from your mouth.

You clenched hard around his cock, Michael’s, and your cum spilled down your legs and pooled in your sweatpants. He didn't stop as you came, and you couldn't help but wail at the feeling, his cock roughly pistoning in and out until he was cumming deep in you again, and you felt the thick load get pushed out of you with his slowing movements that eventually came to a halt. You both were breathing heavily, and now it was time for a rarely-seen part of Michael to worm its way out of the gruff man.

He gently pulled out of you, making sure to watch the cum spill out of you before standing you up and resting you against the counter facing him. You don't know when he took off the mask but you were glad that he did, because after staring at you for a while he leaned in and kissed you. Michael Myers is not a very touchy-feely man, but every once in a while he’ll come home, fuck your brains out and then cuddle with you afterward. You know it's the way he shows affection when he can actually figure out *how* to show it, it's how he shows you how he’s grateful he gets an actual meal now, and how he's grateful he gets to release his frustrations into you. He grabbed onto your neck to bring you chest to chest with him as you two kissed but relaxing your body as he supported you wasn't the best idea. The pain settled in and you hissed. Michael let you go, gently moving you away so that you could lift your shirt and show him the bleeding wound on your stomach.

He lowered himself to the wound and licked it clean, licking up the blood that spilled from the wound and trailed downwards. He pulled your sweatpants down further and opened your legs, cleaning the cum that had spilled out of you and down your thighs, he continued upwards until, suddenly, his lips latched onto your clit. You yelped, grabbing onto his head and lightly pushing him away.

“Michael! Michael, wait! I can’t…”

He obviously didn't listen and continued, his tongue roughly flicking at your clit and occasionally dipping into your hole to taste you and roughly tongue fuck you a bit until you were shaking and whimpering, begging him to stop yet in the same breath begging him to keep going. You curled your body around Michael as you came and you heard the obscene slurping noises Michael was making as you came on his face.

Out of the high-pitched moans and your squirms, it took a loud, “MICHAEL!” to get him to stop. He pulled away, watching you struggle to catch your breath from his position on his knees. You breathed deeply, placing your hand on his wet and cum covered cheek and smiling at him. He huffed, rolling his eyes and standing but reaching over to kiss you on the forehead while he tucked himself away.

You laughed as he picked you up and took you upstairs, dropping you off in your bedroom and leaving for the guest bedroom to clean. You limped off to the bathroom and sat on the toilet as you started the bath. You knew Michael would be back, so you set up a bath for the two of you, lighting some candles that you enjoyed but knew Michael would end up snuffing out because they reminded him of Smiths Grove. You settled in the bath, the warm water soothing your sore muscles instantly. You could hear Michael make his way into the bathroom, so you moved up a bit, waiting for him to settle in and grab your hips, adjusting you so that he was comfortable.

You rested your head against him, causing him to groan lightly, annoyed. You smile and closed your eyes, ignoring his little attitude as he wraps his arms around you, resting his head against the wall. You wouldn’t have guessed you'd be taking a bath with a murderer, especially Michael Myers, but here you were, comfortably leaning against him and relaxing in the hot water of the bath.

[rhokutlauncher]

Hey guys, hate to be a bother but a reminder that MY COMMS ARE ALWAYS OPEN! ^_^ I've been needing to save up for fare for doctors appointments that I've been putting off since I can't afford it, a college application fee, as well as saving up for a new PC because mine is sloooooowly going to hell and I don't know how long it'll last I'll put some examples here, but examples are on my kofi as well: https://ko-fi.com/rhokutlauncher If you want to help but don't want a commission, you can donate if you wish, but no pressure at all!

[propertyofkylar]

what about about streamer/content creator pc? it's a good way to pay the rent and get income. they play games, dance, sing...robin is one of their first fan, and a certain stalker keeps donating

what if they do roleplay asmr for their fans, like "being on a date with your lover" or "sleepover with your childhood crush"

ooo i love this!! i think vrel has said on blogspot he wants to implement something like this. it makes so much sense!! that’s prob in a more lewd way than we’re talking here tho ehehehe

i really like this hehe will share thoughts below

robin def is the first to subscribe though they can't really afford to throw you any money at the time. loves supporting you and is always happy to help out with a stream and play games with you!

you block the nasty comments people leave about them though...

avery sends you big amounts of money but you have to wear what they buy you. it’s nothing weird but it is really expensive and fancy clothing. they watch and enjoy knowing that you’re wearing what they got you. also respects the side hustle from a business perspective

whitney watches in secret and thinks about how lucrative it would be if you engaged in a different type of streaming...but really enjoys just watching you have fun. totally doesn’t put on your asmr videos every night to fall asleep, shut up slut!!

of course kylar is donating a lot of money (don’t ask where they got it from). leaves tons of adoring comments. tries to make it anonymous but it’s so obviously them bc their username is like PCsTrueLove or something. likes watching you but gets angry whenever someone else comments on your looks. has been kicked several times for threatening comments. offers you even more money to give it up entirely

if still pure, sydney watches to support much like robin and gets so flustered if you do asmr, feels conflicted about watching them. if corrupt, will ask if they can go down on you while you’re live. but know if you say yes kylar WILL know so watch out…

alex doesn’t have much time to watch you stream but tries to support you. also really enjoys the asmr roleplays but wishes you were at the farm with them instead. just thinking horny thoughts the whole time too.

fucking. does eden even have internet connection out in the forest? definitely wouldn’t understand what streaming is even if they did. worries about the unsavory people watching and wishes you would just stay in the cabin with them and be their spouse. you don’t need to do that extra work when they’re here to take care of you!

[twentyyearstoolate]

To celebrate finally leaving one of the most toxic tables I've ever played at in my life, I'm going to give DMs and would-be DMs some advice on how to run a good campaign. Admittedly, this is more geared towards 5e and some of the advice will be specific to mechanics you'd find in crunchier games, but a lot of it is applicable regardless:

The rolls you ask for shape the story you tell

Something I see novice DMs do all the time (and novice players petition to do all the time) is call for rolls on actions that are decidedly unheroic - I'm not talking about players who run 'edgy' or evil-leaning characters, although that can be a problem if it's against the group wishes - I mean when players are asked to make Perception checks to see a monster standing in the road fifty feet away, or Investigation checks to search a corpse's pockets for coin or clues, or some form of Charisma check to get discounts (or spiteful markups!) at every shop they visit. Sometimes this also comes in the form of repeated checks at a certain task until somebody fails, because getting lost in the woods on a failed Survival roll is the way the DM planned for them to get introduced to the plot hook, and it takes upwards of five rounds of rolling because there's a ranger with expertise in the party.

Let me be clear - with the exception of the latter example, this is a fine way to run a game, if the story the group wants to tell is about heroes who bumble their way through tasks a normal person would accomplish without remark. I know this sounds facetious, but you genuinely can have a good time playing adventurers who can slay dragons and cast world-altering spells, yet trip over their own feet in the process of solving problems. Your table in that case might be better served with a system that espouses that kind of goofy incompetence in its flavor text, like Paranoia, for example, but you can tell any kind of story with any system, as long as everyone's having a good time.

However...

I imagine most of the time, the tables at which these rolls are called for would rather be telling stories about heroes who are competent enough to walk and chew bubble gum at the same time, and it's frustrating to them not only to have to risk failure for the most mundane activities, but also to play renowned scholars and practiced explorers who fail to recall common knowledge and get lost walking in a straight line on a well-trod path.

Please note, DMs, that you are under no obligation to give anything to your players, but everything you set against a roll of the dice chances a failure, and information and resources gated behind these checks run the risk of not being discovered or learned. If there's something your player characters (and by extension, their players) need to know or do in order to progress through a story, and it's not something of remarkable difficulty and/or great importance? Assume at least one of them would succeed given enough time, and give them the knowledge.

Learn to use redirection to this end, too - if players are badgering shopkeepers for magic items and such, it's just as easy and believable to tell them "My supply of magical ore was stolen by bandits" or "The shipment still hasn't arrived from the mountain pass that runs through 'rocks fall everyone dies' cave" as it is to tell them "no, you can't have that," and you can do that regardless of how many 20s they roll because those resources were never going to be gated by an ability check in the first place. Players get a quest hook, you get to point them in the direction of what you had prepped for the session, and it's still up to you whether or not they find what they asked for.

Fail Forward

If I had a dollar for every time a session got hung up on a failed skill check, I could afford all the Dwarven Forge I want. Very often, rookie DMs assume the PCs will succeed at most of the checks they've planned, gate progress behind that success, and fail to consider how the story moves forward if they should fail, leading to PCs sitting around waiting for more plot to happen to them so they can get back to the adventuring. Where you have planned checks, make sure that both success and failure provide a viable path forward. Try to have results in mind for both whenever you ask for a check.

Instead of a failed survival check causing PCs to lose the trail of the creature they're tracking, make them wander into a hostile creature's territory unknowingly, or delay the search to the point that the creature becomes aware of their presence and can plan an ambush. If a persuasion check to gather information fails, give PCs false information that pushes them toward a trap, or have the NPCs give the information at a cost - perhaps the Mayor needs an infestation dealt with before they'll reveal which direction the ranger went. Frequently, failure on checks is well complimented by this "Yes, but..." methodology. Systems sometime describe it as "Success at a cost." Again, redirection is your friend here - it's very easy to make failed checks like these point where you want players to go. Keep in mind that there's two sides to this coin - players who succeed, plan ahead, or use features and resources wisely should be rewarded with advantages, extra resources, and hidden information.

Make your players feel seen

Players create characters ostensibly because they're interested in roleplaying those characters. Make sure they get opportunities to do so in a world they can engage in, and that reacts to their presence. Assume the PCs know things their players don't, and inform the players of these things where it's appropriate. Also assume that friendly and neutral NPCs notice their characters even when they're not onscreen, and seek to ally with or invest in them.

You have a Wizard in the party who's an archaeologist by trade? Won't she be pleased to know that the artifact that was just namedropped has ties to a dig site they were at a few months ago. There's a barbarian who spends their free time in underground fighting rings? What luck, that instead of having to make fruitless checks to find more bouts, the local fighters' guild recognizes him and invites him to talk to the guildmaster because more lucrative opportunities await for both of you (or if the last few bouts have been unsuccessful, to offer to scout combatants ahead of time to give them an edge, if they'll do the guild a favor first.)

Players love it when DMs say "I share your vision of the character you want to play, and I want to help tell your story" with hooks like these. I love getting detailed backstories from my players with mentions of specific places and people, because the work to write a story that will compel that player is already mostly done. Good players will hand you plot points alongside their character - use them, it's free real estate and it all but guarantees engagement.

Let players have (some) fun

Everybody gets their enjoyment from roleplaying games in different ways. Thespians are drawn to tabletop like moths to flame. Quite frequently you'll get players with talky characters who love to put on airs and accents and yak for hours if you let them. This isn't necessarily a bad thing - some of the best sessions you can have are ones where a die never touches the table because players are engrossed in discussion with each other and/or some bit NPC that you'd planned on throwing away after they did their job - Just make sure everyone at the table is actually having fun with the conversation, and be ready to move it on if people start getting bored.

You will also get players at your table who have an 'unbeatable build' planned for your game, the kind who dig through all the books and make characters with a weird bullshitty multiclass, looking for features that key off of each other. I've found the best thing to do is to just ask these players what the wombo combo they're planning on using is. Review it with them, make sure it works the way they think it does, find ways that it can be thwarted (and make the player aware of these - nobody likes being pantsed halfway through a session,) and most importantly... let them use it, not always, but enough that they can feel good about it - there's nothing quite so frustrating as building a character with a shtick that never gets used because your DM takes pains to stymie it with every encounter they build.

At the end of the day, the DMs goal is to tell a story with the players that everyone enjoys and contributes to. You should pick up quickly what each player is looking for - try to facilitate the experience they want.

Roll on your tables ahead of time

I've been in games where an inordinate amount of time was chewed up by the DM rolling to generate random encounters and treasure on lookup tables, or to decide the weather, or to make names for NPCs, the whole gamut. Please, please, please sort this out ahead of time, not just because spending ten minutes rolling and sifting through spreadsheets kills the momentum of your game, but because if you're truly relying on the tables, you will end up generating a result that wrecks your campaign, whether it's an encounter that curbstomps your level 1 party, or a deck of many things that derails the whole story because it's a magic item with yet another lookup table with catastrophic outcomes - in both of those cases, you need to do these rolls behind the curtain so your judgement calls aren't on display for the whole table to see.

If you need to have random encounters, determine ahead of time what the encounter is and how it's laid out, so that your players aren't spending half the session waiting on you to set up an encounter you didn't plan for. If you must roll for magical items, roll ahead of time, and if they end up on hostile NPCs, ensure that it makes sense for them to both have these items, and that where applicable, they can use them against PCs. Nothing quite like defeating bandits who had resources like potions of healing or a cape of the mountebank, and putting aside that they might be wildly inappropriate treasure for the encounter, it becomes a point of contention that for some reason they didn't think it was prudent to use these things in the fight that preceded their discovery.

How to avoid TPKs

It's an all-too-familiar scenario - An encounter that should have been a challenge ends up being a pushover. You juice the next fight with something a little stronger than your players should be able to handle, but somehow they make it look even easier than the last one. You pull out all the stops. Two PCs are downed in two turns, and your big bad still has their breath weapon on deck. Now you either have to pull punches, kill characters, or ass-pull a deus ex machina to prevent the end of the campaign. What happened?

This section of advice leans specific to 5th edition D&D, but the lessons should be applicable to other systems with significant crunch. Frequently, DMs run encounters that swing wildly one way or another for a number of reasons:

Hostile creatures don't use all the tools available to them in an encounter, including consumables, cover, and concealment.

The encounter has too few hostiles compared to players, and they gang up, or too many, and they get overwhelmed.

DMs frustrated by an apparent lack of challenge plan an encounter that TPKs because it's much too hard for the group.

PCs and/or hostiles get extremely (un)lucky, and a series of good or bad rolls either trivializes or botches the encounter.

DMs who fall prey to this, please understand - encounters are not supposed to be nailbiting tossups. CR isn't meant to be a measure of an encounter's lethality, it's built around draining the party's resources. PCs who expend their resources wisely should reliably win, and you want the PCs to win, because the alternative is that the game ends, often in disappointment and resentment. If you're regularly running encounters with CRs that are 4+ levels higher than the APL? You're going to have one or more PCs die, and they will be rightfully upset that you put their character in a deathtrap.

That said, it's frustrating when it feels like players can trivialize encounters. Keith Ammann's The Monsters Know What They're Doing offers excellent insight into running encounters with specific groups of creatures. I highly recommend it for DMs who run 5e, but I've got some summarized advice that's more applicable to most games:

Creatures encountered on their home turf will use it to their advantage. Hiding, lying in wait, submerging, flying, burrowing, and climbing are all good ways to get an edge on players who don't have the natural advantages the creatures do.

Creatures know there's strength in numbers. If they outnumber players, they'll act more boldly. Conversely, if they begin to dwindle, they'll know they're more likely to be targeted, and fight conservatively.

Creatures always make use of the best options available to them. No dragon will withhold a breath weapon just because one of the PCs looks a little wobbly. Resources do not sit untouched just for PCs to claim as spoils. You don't have to antagonize unconscious characters, but fair fights do not pull punches.

Intelligent creatures will not wade into an open field to get peppered with arrows and spells. If they have ranged attacks of their own, they will make them from the safety of as much cover and concealment as they have available.

Intelligent creatures who are in communication with the world at large will learn of exemplary individuals like the PCs who might threaten them, and prepare accordingly. It is perfectly reasonable for big bads to scry on the PCs, or lean on a network of spies and informants to suss out PC tactics and plan around them, and only the worst villains don't have an exit strategy or two in their pocket, should the PCs prevail.

Wounded creatures, unless purpose-built or magically compelled, do not zealously throw themselves onto swords - they will almost always prefer to run and live than to try to fight their way out of a bind. If the battle's not looking good for them, they will flee. If they can't flee, they will surrender. If they can't surrender, they will beg, cower, or lash out in a desperate attempt to escape.

All this taken into consideration, fortune is fickle, and it's still very possible that a PC might die. Adventuring is not for the faint of heart, after all. Whether it happens in the moment or at session 0, ask the players if they're okay with character death. If not, it is acceptable to have an NPC intervene to prevent or reverse that death. If so, and if it should happen, make it meaningful. Give the player some last words as they bleed out, and perhaps let the remaining PCs roleplay a memorial for their fallen comrade when they're out of danger. The stakes have to be meaningful if player choice is to have any impact.

---

I hope any part of this has been useful and informative for up-and-coming GMs. Above all else, remember that you're here to have fun, that mistakes will be made, and that as long as you're with friends you love and trust, you're 90% of the way to a good game.

And players, cut your GM some slack and go with the flow, okay? They're here to have fun too.

[skiptomy]

Help a disabled trans person get back on their feet

Forcing myself to ask for help. It's really hard for me to do this cause I always feel like I've already asked way too much, but a few kind folks have suggested I do something like this, so I guess here goes nothing.

For more info about what's going on you can check out this post, but the tl;dr is that I'm flat fucking broke right now with no way to get extra income. A lot of my stuff is super old or super broken and at the point where I need replacements that I cannot afford.

So I guess here's a list of stuff, and general prices, though if anyone has better recommendations I'm super open. I'm limiting it to things I actively need rather than just things I want cause that obviously doesn't seem fair to ask folks for.

Bedding: at this point all my pillows are so old they are actively yellowing. My comforter is pretty stained and starting to tear up at the seams and whenever I come home from doing one of my dog sitting jobs I've noticed how much worse my allergies are. Fixing this will drastically help my lungs and sinuses, as well as help with joint support/comfort.

Allergy safe pillows: Usually between 8$-15$ x 2 at least, 4 preferred (joint support)

Cooling comforter: [link] 35$ plus shipping

Allergy safe mattress cover: Most I can find are between 30-50$

Cooling mattress pad: [link] 43$ plus shipping

Med support: This part is pretty self explanatory as to why I need them. But just in case you'd like to know; I have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, fibromyalgia, chrons/ibs, asthma, pretty bad environmental allergies, as well as being recently diagnosed with ADHD/Autism. This leads to near constant pain, always constant fatigue, and just general bad vibes y'know? My body is essentially a poorly constructed ball joint doll that thinks it's funny to just sprinkle on the symptoms.

This one is just way easier to do as a wishlist, cause there's a LOT of things that could help and a lot of them are very expensive.

Work: I work as a digital artist, and the biggest thing I'm saving up for right now is a functioning PC, as my current computer continues to crash and is plagued with a whole lot of troubles and has never really had enough RAM to do what I need. Thanks to the incredible people in my life I have a little towards this already, as well as a big discount through one of my friend's jobs. The build that my tech buds and I worked out would suit my needs and keep me going for a good decade or so is about 1,400$. I've got 500$ towards it already that I refuse to touch for anything else (if it's not life threatening), and I'm trying my best to save up on the side, but bills and life keep making that very hard.

I've got Paypal, Venmo (just ask for QR), and Ko-fi.

I also do commissions but those are quite slow going right now because of all the aforementioned problems. But if you don't mind waiting a while (trying to catch up on older ones right now) you sure can put an order in.

If you are able to help, I cannot express how much that would mean to me. But I also completely understand if you can't. It's tough out there. Especially right now with everything going on. In any case, I wish you all the best, and thank you heartily for reading and sharing.

[sunskate]

US Nationals:

the Browns had a really good RD - when they're on, their high energy, musicality, and beautiful skating skills are a joy. it's hard for them to hit that zone in both segments of a competition - the margin between them hitting and not is smaller than for most teams, and the FD was very good but not quite at that power. i really wish for them to have some financial angels swoop in, because it's hard to know what their potential is if they're being capped by what they can't afford

Bratti/Somerville - their lukewarm score in the RD was a little mysterious. their steps levels were all 2's, and she lost a twizzle level, GOE were a little meh. but their PCS put them above the Browns, so their quality was being recognized. all i can figure is that in the arena it was missing spark or cohesion. because the panel wasn't divided on the GOE

in the FD, it felt like the quality we were seeing on the screen was reflected in the score. i found myself watching her more than him, which is new - they've become more balanced as a team this year. actually, i wonder if him not skating at a million watts and becoming a team player affected how the RD comes across - if all they heard last season was that Ian can't partner and that he outshines her, and they fixed it, and now the judges are like, no, not like that 💀 maybe they wanted Emily to come up to his energy, but she said herself in an interview recently that Ian's energy is quick and hers is slower, and it's true - she's more languid. but it's a good sign that they were able to make a change, and it'll be really interesting to see how they develop their team identity from here

Wolfkostin/Tsarevski: in person they look more like a senior team than juniors in their power and ice coverage - they definitely look like they belong in this event. but their reception from the panel was surprising. in the RD, their placements went from 2nd to 10th 👀 and with nearly everything in between. and in the FD, they had one of the bigger mistakes in the top 10 and still had a judge place them above the Browns and half the panel above N/M. to senior up the FD they added a StaLi and Assisted jumps and changed the layout of first half. i'm so happy for her that this partnership is working so well - it's a much better fit than Jeffrey Chen was, and they have some judges as fans

[jennawynn]

Starfield

I think I finally got rid of the "have to play as much as possible" brainworms, which is good. It's a Bethesda title. You basically know if you'll like it or not based on that one fact. It is solidly Bethesda. It is Skyrim/Fallout in Space. I like Bethesda games. I still play Fallout and Skyrim sometimes...

HOWEVER...

Things I wish it had... because where else can I shout this into the universe? You think I'm gonna go do it on Twitter? Ha. I don't think any of these are THAT egregious, either.

I love that I can be a space trucker or a miner and don't have to go be a hero somewhere. I don't love that you HAVE to kill people to get there. Like even just to get off the moon. Give me the potential for pacifist playthroughs, Todd! Or at least the option to skip the opening once you've done it. Or an alternate start where you have to earn a ship or SOMETHING. (Sometimes in Skyrim I'll just make an NPC who picks flowers and does alchemy to afford nights at the inn and food to eat, no killing, no nothing... so seeing that I can set up a mining outpost and take jobs to be a delivery driver/passenger vehicle or to sell to starports is A+ in my book.)

Tag for trash/sale in inventory. Sometimes I know I want to keep a thing. Sometimes I know it's just junk. I wish I could tag for trash/sale and then a) be able to see those in a sortable list to determine what I'm getting rid of first when I go over weight and b) sell it all at once at participating vendors.

Speaking of, SORT BY WEIGHT/VALUE. I *think* it's available on PC, but I'm on xbox and the UI is (necessarily) different. But I still think it should be an option. You KNOW how we play, TODD. You know we sit there to determine which junk is the best value for the weight while we're getting under max capacity mid-dungeon. Make it easy on us.

Land vehicles. Some of those POIs are _so far away_ and a) you make it so we can't sprint constantly and b) you space things out really far. It makes it a chore to explore and get those juicy surveys done. I almost _always_ max out a biome's survey options before I get to the first trait. Give us a speedier travel option, please?

Less suicidal companions. I can't tell you how many times I've sat there shooting at a pirate when my companion comes over and stands RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME and then complains when I accidentally shoot them. Maybe don't stand where my bullets are!

This is a much less common complaint than the others, probs, but when you have a chameleon spacesuit and you try to shoot... you can't see your ironsights/reflex scope. You have to go to third person or a scoped weapon to be able to see where you're shooting. So like... maybe just DON'T hide the sights? Or put a reticle up just so we can actually use the armor?

I suck at space combat and I'm not sure why. So I don't have a solid suggestion here, but that does seem to be the consensus- people don't know how to space combat because the system is either not good or not explained.

Oh that reminds me- BETTER TUTORIALS. I was EIGHTEEN hours in before I realized I completely misunderstood the lockpick minigame (which is a huge improvement fwiw).

Level ranges on the mission boards so you don't end up in a level 15 starfighter combat when you're level 5.

Current inventory counts on crafting/vendor screens. I need to know if I have 400 of a thing in my cargo bay before I buy/build another 30, please, without needing to back all the way out, check my inventory, then come back in. Or do an inventory spreadsheet. Which I totally didn't do. Promise.

[shrapnelstars]

Alright, as much as I'm enjoying Moonstone Island, "Cozy" games still haven't gotten over the scaling tedium issue.

As you progress through the game and scale up your operations, all of these games need to add in automation and remove your limitations that were only cute at the start of the game.

Moonstone Island wants you to explore the various islands and clear dungeons, but it automatically kicks you back to your house at the end of every day, which is fucking annoying because some of the islands are far away and take the whole day to fly to, so by the time you get there, you have no time to get through the dungeons or collect what you want. There's no way (or none that I've found) to teleport to a specific island so that you can maximize daylight and get what you want done before the game kicks you out.

I'd love to keep all my monsters in the barn so I can visit them and rotate my party on a whim, but unless you have all auto-feeders, which require a rare resource each, you either have to basically spend half the day feeding each individual monster, or keep them in the professor's PC all the way in a separate building. You can build a PC for your house, but it requires multiple of a rare resource to build.

There's automation to water crops thankfully, but not to gather them. Thankfully, crops aren't as annoying to manage.

The shopkeepers are off on certain days, which is annoying to keep track of, and they are all off on the same one day a week, which means there's always one day where you just can't get something you need or work on certain quests. They comment on you not socializing with them or not buying things from them, but you can only afford their stuff if you do all the farming, which requires that you focus on that and not talk to them. They are also difficult to track down if they are not at their shops, and I really don't care about finding them unless it's for quest completion, because tracking them down can take a chunk out of your day, which means you're that much closer to the game auto-kicking you back to your house.

I clicked the option for the longest days possible in settings, by the way.

I like this game on paper, but I really wish it would get the hell out of my way at this point. Let me work through the night and enjoy the rest of the game mechanics.

I thought I'd take a chance on one of these games again, but no, the schedule mechanic is as annoying as I remembered. I hate the schedules. Just let me play the damned game at my own pace.

The comforting part isn't the schedule tracking. It's falling into a loop of actions, uninhibited, and just zoning out and letting your mind wander while you landscape, or train monsters, or build a house, or grind for materials. The peace is IN the repetitive action, not being edged out of the repetitive action.

[thdrama2]

Genuinely wish that Carnivox would get some balls and stop selling their designs to people who will only pay them two dollars a month via payment plan. The pc cat design has been pending for almost a year at $800; the dumb cunt they sold it to can't even pay $100 a month for it? If you can't afford to pay for expensive designs, don't bid on them at all. Leave them to people who actually have the money. I just sit there staring at all of their older designs that are just forever pending in their Toyhouse and I feel bad for them. Plus they lose a chunk of each payment installment because PayPal takes out fees, so they're just losing money by accepting these stupid payment plans for these people who clearly don't even have the money for what they're bidding on. I wish they'd start blacklisting these people, or at the very least, put in some sort of minimum payment for a payment plan so they're not getting some stupid amount like $50 per month while the design rots.

Anon is referring to this.

I am not sure where you are under the impression that money has not been slowly paid towards the $800 sales price as there is neither indication of payment nor non-payment on the bio.

Right now this is unsubstantiated but meaningless enough to post.

[murumokirby360]

My PC Cooling Upgrades Review - Part 1 [Second Half] (w/ my paper dolls) [Recorded on Jun 9th, 2023]

Hello, June! Here's the continuation of "My PC Cooling Upgrades" Part 1 (featuring my paper dolls). 🙂

If you haven't seen my "First Half", then please [CLICK ME!].

So, without further ado, let's get started!

29th to 31st Image(s) ↑:

• Alright! Moving on to other items 📦📦, now what item should we open? 🤔

32nd & 33rd Image(s) ↑:

• My paper dolls says "Why not both?". Good idea! 😄Tada! Two items had been revealed! And I know the PC fan was misleading & un-advertised to the box, but, we'll get to that in a bit.😉

34th to 36th Image(s) ↑:

• Now, you've already seen this before during my unwrapping parcels, right? So, here's the 4-pin fan splitter connector for my Motherboard. And the reason to buy is because I need more than one PC fan to get the ventilation going & prevent from overheat the hardware components (including the motherboard) 🌡️💨❄️🖥️. I wish I could buy more than three slots (w/ more PC fans), but since my tower case is an old style, I guess this will do (for now). 🙂

37th to 41st Image(s) ↑:

• [37th to 39th Images] Lastly is the 80mm 12V PC fan with w/a blue light strip around closer the transparent fan blades. Sure, an affordable normal PC fan is fine but also boring. So, why not get this? Because the transparent fan is rad & a colorful LED light strip (which depending on what color you choose, so I picked "Blue") was icing on the computer cake (no pun intended). 🥰💙💡

• [40th & 41st Images] Also, I was expecting to be a 4-pin fan connector, but instead, this mini fan has a Molex connector; in both male & female ports. And you know what, I'm okay with that, a single Molex slot should make room for it. And I can't secure the PC fan without a pack of four screw bolts.🙂

42nd to 43rd Image(s) ↑:

• And there you have it, my trio of items for my PC cooling upgrade! Hope these will delivered a solid worth, and my paper dolls agrees! We can't wait to install these goodies! 😁🖥

BTW: I haven't talk about my current PC. Well... It went horrible, on June 7th. Hours after I record the video & posted. 🖥😟 And you noticed, I covered my monitor with a fiber cloth. I'll spare the details when I make "Part 2".

Overall & Asking Price:

• Problem aside, I hope these will make cooldown the heat of the CPU chip & other internal components. Although, I have one last item that I need to purchase. ☝️ But sadly, I need to earn just a little bit. 🤏💵 So I guess I'll cover it, in the coming months once I bought the last item.

• As for the "Asking Price", here are the ff.:

○ Jonsbo CR-1400 from EasyPC (Shopee PH site) - cost ₱ 699 - 755 (Free Shipping Fee in voucher) in Black or White colors available

○ 80mm 12V PC Fan from ogamma-ph (Shopee PH site) - cost ₱ 75 (Shipping Fee ₱46) in Red, Blue, White, and RGB LED light colors in different sizes (There's also selling an actual PCCooler FX-12CM RGB for ₱129)

○ PWM PC Fan Splitter from Meuc Store (Shopee PH site) - cost ₱50 - 75 (Shipping Fee ₱38) depending how many ports you want

SIDE NOTE: I didn't buy anything from Lazada PH, so its a nice for me to change. 😊🛒🌐🇵🇭

Well, that's all for now. And you haven't seen my previous month, then please [CLICK ME!].

Tagged: @lordromulus90, @bryan360, @carmenramcat, @leapant, @rafacaz4lisam2k4, @paektu, @alexander1301

[wumblebum]

We're finally getting a PC upgrade after using the same mid-2011 computer since we were 19. Yeah, we've run the same PC into the ground since 2017. We're only replacing her now bc she can't run the updated versions of a lot of software now. The hardware is ancient, even though we gave her a yummy RAM upgrade.

Weird that it took this long but it also means we're doing better at this whole art thing than we were for years. Literally in this past 10 months we've upgraded everything. We used the same wacom pen + touch tablet for 10 years straight until it was very nearly broken (replacing it with the beautiful and stunning XP-pen we have now she's so good) and now the PC is getting replaced too.

We managed to run the whole business off of our old set-up for as long as humanly possible, and it ended up being worth it because now we can afford fancier stuff.

I guess what I'm saying is, things turned out okay and they'll keep turning out okay probably and maybe we're not so bad at this whole self employment thing. Honestly I wish that more folks had a chance at making self-employment work. After having to leave so many corporate jobs because they couldn't handle our level of disability, I feel like we've got something of a life again.

But I will say, if you are considering starting a business you'd better make sure you have all the required skills. Seriously. You'd better be able to keep books, regularly fill out forms, handle your own marketing and client correspondence... But if you're able to do that then MAN is it satisfying. At least for me.

- Agamemnon

[trying-to-get-thinner]

alright imma try keeping a food diary again... i usually stay up late and sleep in till the afternoon, so i don't really do "breakfast" and "lunch". i'm autistic too so i kinda have weird foods sometimes... ANYWAY without further ado:

✨TTGT'S FOOD DIARY NOV 22✨

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

woke up 2pm-ish

between 2pm and 3:30pm i ate some frosting, yknow the betty white vanilla frosting?? yeah sometimes i just eat that from the tub... but i don't exactly know how much i ate

around 6:30pm i ate a little more frosting. i'm now out of frosting. so at least i can't eat more (it's kinda my go to when i want something sweet, glad im out though)

around 10pm i had 12 dino nuggies for dinner. the bag says one serve is 100g, i don't have any kitchen scales to figure out how many nuggets that is (i moved out from my parents place a few months ago, i can't afford to buy any for myself)

other than that i've drank some diet coke. just one 600ml bottle over the course of the night

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

✨about my day✨

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

imma just treat this like a journal too

ANYWAY today i had a psychologist appointment, i go weekly on friday afternoons. we mainly talked about liam payne's funeral yesterday and how disgusting it is the the press are trying to exploit a devastated, grieving family by filming their most intense feelings. they should leave his family alone. they're just trying to get views and money by exploiting his fucking FUNERAL. it's disgusting i feel terrible for his family i wish them the most privacy and peace possible

after, my support worker took me to kmart, i ordered some things for printing. it's my best friend's birthday in a couple weeks and i want to get them a bunch of random bullshit with really bad photos of me on it hahahah. i also got 2 photo frames for prints i bought from depop (shoutout twigletart on depop), i got a hello kitty lunch box that i'll probably use as a cosmetics bag, and a couple crafty things (along with the diet coke i drank today). oh and 2 pool noodles!! to go in my yru draculaura and ghoulia boots.

when i got home i cut up the pool noodle for my shoes, only needed one but i now have a pool noodle for any future crafts if anyone has any suggestions as to what i can make. i also started putting some stickers on the frames!! hey look so groovy now, one of them is done and the second one is about half done.

i watched some greys anatomy, played a little on hypixel skyblock, and downloaded a bunch of steam games on my pc (i'm going through the process of moving from my laptop to a pc, i hate it lmao my laptop has so much on it to transfer over)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

anyway it's now 2:55am, just took my meds, time to head to sleep

sleep is my favourite way to not eat lmao

GOODNIGHT ALL!!